Sunday Weddings

[asschersmitten]

Here is our story...
We really want a warm weather wedding..... leaving in NJ, May through September or October. We need a Sunday b/c we are Jewish and we can''t start Saturday weddings until after Sundown. Starting after Sundown with a rabbi during the summer in NJ means the ceremony doesn''t start until after 8 and food isn''t served until 10ish.... its a bad situation in general. Hence needing a Sunday. Sunday weddings can be lovely... but I want people to PARTY... I mean really really celebrate and I feel as though maybe no one really does that on a Sunday when you have work the next day. Am I wrong? Do people party and have a great time and celebrate.... drink etc. on a Sunday. What about a 4:30-10 pm wedding? I am totally tortured by this. I felt like maybe this only leaves Labor day and Memorial day so that an everyone doesn''t have school/work etc the next day. Labor day was then ruled out because my only aunt and uncle from my father''s side cannot come pushing the wedding to Memoraia Day of 2008. We have been dating since April of 2001, and will be getting engaged by the end of 06.. (ring is taking forever to be made ordered 5 weeks ago) Neither of us are looking forward to such a long engagement so .... are their any alternative dates? Has anyone else had a Sunday wedding and how was it? ALLLLLLLLL recomendations and stories are welcome! Thanks in advance....

 

[robbie3982]

My parents were trying to push a Sunday wedding on me (I''m Jewish, but marrying a Catholic so we''re having a non-denominational ceremony), but I was worried about the same thing. What about a Friday afternoon wedding? People would have to take the day off, but they''d be sure to want to party.

 

[asschersmitten]

SO many views and not so many responses...... I need your help ladies...... ( and gents) I KNOW you are all brilliant... help a girl in need

 

[shinythings]

It might depend on if most of your guests will be coming from out of town or not. This probably isn''t what you want to hear, but I went to a sunday wedding and didn''t really have much fun at all, along with most of the guests. We all were from out of town and had to drive back after the reception-I didn''t even stay for the dancing.

I did go to another Sunday wedding on labor day though and that worked out perfectly-didn''t need to take any days off from work and could still have a blast.

 

[waves044]

Have you considered July 3rd? I know a girl who chose that date (a Thursday) because she got a great deal, it''s the fourth the following day so most people will have the day off and it is at the start of the weekend so people can still go out of town etc the rest of the weekend. Plus the town that her reception is in has their fireworks on the 3rd and they are viewable from the site!

 

[CrownJewel]

Can you do it earlier? Maybe ceremony starts around 3 and food is served around 5? That way the wedding can go till 8 or 9...so it''ll be evening, people will let loose but still leave around 9 and make it back home on time. I know another Jewish couple having their wedding in the afternoon. I''ll have to ask what time they plan on having their sit-down meal. I think they''re going with dinner. I would still party if it were early in the evening.

 

[diamondfan]

I got married on a Sunday at 6:00 pm and it was fine...I am not a fan of Friday but it could work...

 

[sumbride]

I was planning to attend a Sunday wedding last year (got cancelled) and we were going to take Monday off. It was out of town, so we would have had to anyway, so we were definitely going to live it up. I know it''s not the ideal situation, but if most of your guests are familiar with the concept of a Sunday wedding, hopefully they''ll make the best of it.

 

[njc]

Went to a Sunday wedding the other weekend that was close by and it was okay. Since we werent taking Monday off we didnt drink, we didnt dance and left right after they cut the cake and before it was served. I was actually a little miffed, we arrived promptly for the 3pm ceremony and the bride took her sweet time and the ceremony started almost an hour late (this is the cousin I posted about before DEMANDING presents from her registry or else). Then they took an hour and half for pictures. Things kept dragging on and on… it was 9pm when we left… 6 hours of nothing but the ceremony, dinner and their dances (1st dance, bride/dad, mom/groom). After 6 hours of our festivities things were on their way to winding down… Those that didnt need to go to work the next day though seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I would say pick a long weekend if possible, if not, have the ceremony earlier in the day (3pm was a nice time had things stayed on schedule), at the VERY least, don’t be late. I believe I would have enjoyed more of the wedding had it not been delayed so much.

 

[jas]

I had a Sunday wedding -- it was just fine...the earliest people left was 10...and they were partied out! The place cleared out by midnight. We started at 5:30...OOT people made a weekend of it...I wouldn''t worry. People are going to be excited to be at *your* wedding. People who love you would not sit there and say, "Well, gee, I know it''s the biggest day of their lives and all, but it''s a Sunday."

Go for it -- you get better deals with vendors and many more to choose from to boot.

Go for it! Figure a Jewish ceremony will be 1/2 hour at the most (give or take)

 

[AceP]

Unfortunately, I've heard many, many people complain about Sunday evening weddings. I've been to a Sunday afternoon affair (ceremony actually starting at 11am) where mimosas and bloody marys were served during the cocktail hour and people ramped up to hard liquor as the afternoon progressed, and everyone was definitely having a good time! but there's something strange about stumbling out of a wedding venue, exhausted, slightly hungover and dressed to the hilt, at 5pm. are you having a strictly kosher meal or marrying at a conservative/orthodox synagogue? because they won't even start COOKING until the sun goes down. but if you're in an a-religious setting, you may be able to have everything prepped and ready to go. in that case, june, july and august certainly wouldn't be an option. but by late september or october, the sun starts setting significantly earlier, especially on the east coast.

ETA: I also know a jewish couple who had a july 3rd evening wedding, and that worked out great.

 

[ellaila]

I totally agree with Jackie/Jas!

We had a Sunday wedding in September (two months ago today

), and it was awesome -- I wouldn''t change it for the world! We had a 5:00 ceremony outdoors and had our cocktail hour outside during an amazing sunset. The timing could not have been more perfect. Our sit-down dinner begain at 6:30.

Not one single person complained about it being on a Sunday -- and not one person left before 11:00 (and most people had over an hour drive home!)! Sure, a lot of people took Monday off, but big deal. If you have a Saturday wedding, wouldn''t most OOT guests fly in on Friday and miss that day of work anyway?

As for celebrating, people can celebrate without having to make it a huge drinking fest! I mean, we had open bar and people did drink, but no one got wasted. But then again, that''s what we wanted -- a small intimate celebration with friends and family, not a kegger

I''ve enjoyed every wedding I''ve been to, whether it''s been a Friday night, a Saturday night, or a Sunday afternoon. I personally could not care less what day of the week it is or what time of the day it is -- but that''s just me!

And keep in mind that Sunday weddings are often waaaay less expensive than Friday or Saturday weddings!!

Good luck!

 

[aljdewey]

I married on a Sunday afternoon at 3:45. Outdoor wedding, followed by pictures on site, then a 25 min drive to reception, which was a sunset cruise. Cruise from 6-8:30.

No one had a problem with the Sunday venue, but then again, we only had close friends and family. Most of them took Monday off.......they figured I was worth it! LOL

No regrets - things were less expensive, and vendors MUCH more available.

 

[AmberGretchen]

We got married on a Sunday at 4:30pm, and it worked wonderfully. Our party ended up about 10:30/11pm-ish, and it worked well.

I think you should go for it if its the best option for you. Its a great way to save money - we saved over $1000 having our wedding on a Sunday.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[gailrmv]

We had a Sunday evening wedding. The ceremony started at 5, the coctail hour around 6 and we planned for the party to go til 11 or so. People started leaving really early, like right after dinner, and I was disappointed. However, this might have been because we had a lot of older relatives and family friends who might have left early even if it was a Saturday. The young people stayed. I guess it depends on your guest list. If people are in from out of town, they'll be staying til Monday anyways so they should not have to leave early! I totally feel your situation, and you got to do what you got to do. I would say that if I were doing it over again, I would probably move everything earlier by an hour.

Also, plan way ahead for hair/makeup. Lots of places are not open on Sundays and you may have to make special arrangements for you and your girls. We did but it worked out OK!

 

[monarch64]

I got married on a Sunday afternoon...12 p.m. ceremony outdoors, reception followed on site immediately afterwards, the event itself was over at 5 p.m., but most of our circle of friends had taken Monday off (even some OOTr''s) and came back to our hotel with us to enjoy more cocktails until 10-11 that night. It was a beautiful day and we never heard any complaints from anyone about it being a Sunday wedding...our save the dates went out 4 months before-hand so our guests had lots of time to prepare/schedule accordingly.

 

[DMBsGirl]

I am one of those that doesn''t like the sunday wedding idea. I have been to two of them and both had people who started leaving shortly after 9pm. I definitely did not party as hard as I wanted to, because it was always looming in the back of my mind that I would have to work the next day. I think you should look into the idea of july 3rd.